Hi all. I am reviving this to show that even though in the past 3 years with all of the new system built and up running these use numbers haven’t changed.
When I first wrote this road gasoline here was $4.00 a gallon. Now is $2.00 a gallon here.
Not all bad news. Much advancement now on actual “other” EFI engine systems used. Improvements in durability. Improvements in engine/gasifier heats recycling allowing for lower woodfuel consumption and the use of wetter fuelwoods.
Still . . . the real hold back for wider use is the fuel wood Sourcing/Prepping side of it.
Think of the fellows who’ve build a system. Operated it. Now no longer operate it.
Once they discover that with an at least 4 to 1 ratio between woodfuel power and a refined dino fuel in Weight . . . . AND a 10 to 1 ratio in storage space woodfuel power versus refined dino fuel that Dino Will Always Be Easier. Dino fuels money makers work very hard to price tank-out, and lobbing regulate out any other energy competitions.
North American winter heating season is here. There be at least 11,000,000 million who still bulk wood heat for their homes, shops and barns in North America.
So 1 in 300 still getting a significant amount of their yearly energy here in NA from woodpower.
I just finished wood-sweating in the last of 7 cords/924 cubic feet of air dried Doug Fir for our two houses woodstoves.
Looking back at the last 7 years I see the most relevant factor to whether a person will join the one in a million who woodgas for usable engine power isn’t their skill as a welder fabricator,
their ability to do the maths,
follow along the thermal-chemical process
It really is predictable by their ability to Source, then Process, and then Maintain a wood fuel pile that will diminish at, at least a 200 pounds a day used-up rate.
Regards
Steve Unruh